Rule of Criminal Procedure 120 Deleted

February 24, 2014

The Board of Judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia approved a resolution to delete Superior Court Rule of Criminal Procedure 120 (SCR-Criminal 120), which outlines the process for mental examinations of defendants.

A comment added to the rule explained that SCR-Criminal 120 was removed due to the enactment of the Incompetent Defendants Criminal Commitment Act of 2004, which created a comprehensive framework for the mental examinations of defendants.

The amended rule is effective immediately and will be applied to pending proceedings where it is “just and practicable” and to future actions.